they were just saying just all people are equal in the eyes of the law, and that fell short of what abolitionists wanted, which was racial equality. and there was the belief that we can't let righteousness drive the process. it's working the machinery to get to that place where we get slavery prohibited as a start before we get to anything else. >> you know, i wanted to see the movie, in part inspired by david's column on friday, i went last night. and that was the striking part to me of the film. because i have been an activist and an advocate all my life. leading an advocate organization. a president has to get things done. so even if a president is transformational, it's how he gets there. and that's what lincoln had to deal with. that's the character that was played that you've got to back off of being a purist so we can get this done. now, it doesn't mean advocates shouldn't advocate. we don't govern. we try to push as far as we can. but at the end, they've got to have the president take all the pushing to say, this is what i'm going to achieve. and i think that's what lincoln did. i think t